(BALTIMORE – February 10, 2025) – The 41st District State Central Committee convened virtually on January 21st to select a replacement for former state Senator Jill P. Carter. Carter had previously succeeded Lisa Gladden, who had unseated Barbara Hoffman. Gladden, a Black woman, reclaimed the seat in a majority-Black district, restoring a sense of pride within the African American community both within the district and citywide.
Carter’s appointment by Gov. Wes Moore to the state Board of Contract Appeals created a vacancy, prompting the committee to choose her successor.
The final vote saw four committee members—Lakesha Brown Wright-El, Alex Friedman, Councilmember Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer, and Sandy Rosenbluth—join Angela Gibson in supporting Del. Dalya Attar (D-Baltimore City). Meanwhile, Brian Easley, Dayvon Love, and committee chair Tammy Stinnett backed Del. Malcolm Ruff (D-Baltimore City). The committee members did not publicly explain their votes.
Many in the Black community had expected Ruff to win and were shocked by the outcome. As Maryland Matters reported, Gibson, a former House delegate from 2017 to 2019, had previously lost to Attar in the 2018 primary and was also edged out by Ruff for a past vacancy. The number of appointed state lawmakers continues to grow, with Attar set to become the sixth appointed senator since 2022. Meanwhile, the House already has 12 appointees, with more vacancies expected.
With Attar in the Senate, the central committee must reconvene this month to fill her House seat. Resumes are due at 5 pm on February 17th, and interviews with the candidates will be scheduled for February 20th. The selected candidate will serve alongside Del. Malcolm Ruff and Del. Samuel I. “Sandy” Rosenberg (D), the longest-serving member of the General Assembly, who has held office since 1982.
The result deeply frustrated some in the 41st District’s Black community. Many questioned why two Black women voted against Ruff, who was widely considered the community’s preferred candidate.
When asked about the historical racial significance of her vote, Wright-El responded, “What’s that got to do with my vote?” She added, “You’re calling me [now], and how long has the election been?”
David Smallwood, a longtime community leader from Edmondson Village, was surprised by the outcome. “Everybody thought going in that it was going to be a split vote, 4 to 4, and that it was going to the governor so he could appoint a new senator,” he said.
From what I understand, he added, “[Wright-El] was supposed to be voting for Ruff, which would have made it 4-4. But she switched up and voted for Attar. The night of the virtual meeting for the 41st District State Central Committee, the overwhelming sentiment was for Malcolm Ruff.”
According to Smallwood, most people commenting in the Zoom chat that night had clearly supported Ruff.
“People were just stunned … when [the vote] came out to be 5 to 3. Malcolm Ruff was definitely the people’s choice. The rap on Attar is that she doesn’t show up. [Ruff] has ingratiated himself since he’s been in the community with the legislation to make Leakin Park a state park, and he pushed legislation, from what I understand, with the whole Pimlico Race Track deal with the [residents of Park Heights]. He’s certainly had his finger on the pulse of the community.”
He then went into the history of the district. “I’m telling people, though, that this goes back to Lisa Gladden and Barbara Hoffman.”
Monique Washington has been the Edmondson Village Community Association, Inc. President since 2007. She recalls when Senator Gladden would attend her meetings.
Her response to the state central committee’s final vote was disbelief. “When they said Attar, I said, Are you serious?”
She continued, “We haven’t seen this lady over here but once. It’s always Rosenberg, Tony Bridges, and Malcolm Ruff. When our Black folks can’t get out their own damn way, this is what we get.”
Both Smallwood and Washington attribute the lack of support for Ruff to political shenanigans, possibly by individuals who want to become delegates themselves.
